Chocolate Swiss Roll

It's been raining since the early morning on Sunday, and after coming back from the wholesale vegetables market with Hubby, we had a simple breakfast at the mall nearby, and went straight home. Rainy days always makes me very lazy and I try to stay indoor as much as I can, hehe, just love to cuddle up with my dog and enjoy a hot cup of coffee, and chase my K-series 😛😛😛

However, sometimes, the kids will make some request for this and that, and I'm always happy to receive such orders. So, Angel made a request to bake her Chocolate Swiss Roll and Hubby, before leaving to work, said to bake anything that he can have for breakfast tomorrow morning. To fulfill their wishes, I made a Chocolate Swiss Roll and also a Taiwanese Castella Sponge Cake , both happens to be their favourites.

I only recently learnt how to make Swiss Rolls, and have been practicing quite a bit, as the baking, temperature controlling and the rolling still needs a bit of a practice. Therefore, this Chocolate Swiss Roll is my first time too, but basically I used the same recipe as the Vanilla Swiss Roll, just add 2 tablespoons of unsweetened Cocoa Powder to the flour.

Here is the recipe card for you , hope you take some time to bake one, and let me know how you like it. 

Note : Please kindly monitor your own oven temperature as some bakers told me to bake at the upper rack for 10 mins @ 150C, then bring the rack down to the middle and bake at 170 for another 10 mins. But , still I would suggest that you learn your own oven's temperature as it's all varies. 

Till then, Happy baking! 

Black Beauty Chiffon Cake

In the month of September and October has quite a lot of Public Holidays, and this gives me the time to experiment and try out new recipes that I have collected and lining up to try out. As you can see, I have baked this Black Beauty Chiffon Cake, in fact it's just an ordinary Chocolate Chiffon cake , just that it's finished with a more sophisticated and classy look, hahaha 😂

As I have mentioned in my previous postings, that bakers nowadays are very creative, and they incorporate their artistic skills into their baking too. And without dragging this too long, I know you are very impatient, 😜 here is the recipe attached to how I got this cake done and it's actually, no rocket science, just a little piping here and there , trust me , it is 😊

The texture of the cake is very airy and soft, rich Chocolate chiffon pairing it with Cream Cheese in the middle layer, who could resist not giving it a try, right?  Here is the recipe for this beautiful beauty .....😋

You may download the above recipe at the following link below:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/114625954057922568813/posts/LTiaJhQQzAB

I have a few more artistic cakes that I'm lining up to try soon, so click follow on my blog and you'll be informed once there is a new post up. Thanks for dropping in today and have a blessed day, and hope you like this recipe and cake.....cheers!

Happy Baking!

Dark Chocolate Mooncakes

It's Mid-Autumn Festival today, all the mooncakes baking and making finally comes to an end. This year I think I baked the most of all the rest of the years before. In fact I was still having 2 on my list that I wanted to bake, and they are the ones that I haven't try making before.

Well, of course, even after the festive celebration is over, I can still make them for normal afternoon tea treats , 😂

Anyway, today I'm going to share the recipe of this first timer I baked last week and it's definitely also a keeper and a must have for the coming Mid -Autumn festival celebration.

Here's the recipe link for you to download:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/114625954057922568813/posts/ismZMoogt4f

By the way, I used Hershey's Unsweetened Dark Cocoa Powder and it tastes great. The sweetness of the moon cakes overall was perfect as I used the less Sugar Emerald Lotus paste.

Besides this, I also baked up a batch of Traditional Piggy Mooncakes for the kids and also to be given as gifts to my friends. I baked these piggies every Mid Autumn as they were so cute and everybody loves it.

The recipe for these cute piggies are from Anncoo Journal and I'm linking back to her , so that you have a clear picture of how she mould and shape the piggies too. Have fun!

Here's wishing all of you a very warm and happy Mid-Autumn Festival celebration with your family and friends.

And happy baking!!

White Chips Dark Chocolate Cookies

When it comes to cookies, I never have to worry if there will be anyone in the house to eat it or not, as I can tell you, I have a few Cookie Monsters in the house, yeah, and they rock!! Hahaha.....kidding!

But, well, it's true that they are Cookie Monster alright, as every cookie jars filled will be emptied in a week. So, I never have to worry baking cookies as they will always be supporters to ate them all up, before I start baking the next recipe on my cookie baking list.

Last week I went into a baking shop and saw this 'Black Chocolate Powder' and instantly I scooped it up and head to the counter. I have been looking for this Black Chocolate Powder for quite some time now after having a cookie recipe that calls for it. Normally, they only have like Chocolate Powder (the brown ones) or Cocoa Powder, even the Hershey's brand here in KK are basically the 'Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder' ones that you can find and no others. Oh, and to make my cookie more contrasting with its companion, I chosed the Milk White Chocolate chips instead. As you can form my pic above, it's really 'B&W' combination there, haha

This recipe yields me a 2 full big cookie jars and the kiddos at home were so delighted to see it all filled up again, yea....I'm the Best Mom in the world eh, ok I know, tsk tsk

 White Chips Dark Chocolate Cookies 

Ingredients
2-1/4 cups (282gm) all purpose flour
2/3 cup (78gm) Black Chocolate Powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter (227gm) , room temperature
3/4 cup (150gm) castor sugar
2/3 cup (133gm) packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups White Chocolate Chips

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 350F / 175C.
2. Combine flour, dark chocolate powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
3. Beat butter and the 2 types of sugar (castor and brown) in a mixing bowl using a mixer until creamy. 
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add the flour mixture in 2 to 3 batch. Add in the White chocolate chips and using a spatula to mix it well and evenly with the dough.
5. Using a teaspoon, scoop a dollop and drop it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving about 1 inch apart.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set. Do rotate the baking tray half way through your baking to evenly bake the cookies.
7. Cool on the baking tray for about 2 to 3 minutes before removing it to the wire rack to cool completely. Once completely cool, you may store them in your cookie jars, airtight and it can store up to 2 weeks.

Note : These cookies are so yummy because it's the bittersweet from the black chocolate powder blends in so well with the milk choc chips.

Till then, Happy baking and have a good weekend!

 

 

Viva La Espana.....UEFA Euro 2012

Football anyone? hehe.....I'm a big fan of football (but definitely not the Malaysian ones lah) LOL :p I love watching UEFA Euro games, FIFA Worldcup and of course the English Premier Leagues too. Well, you could have guessed that this posting will be all about football....yes! UEFA EURO 2012 that is!! 

I don't know how many ladies in my group would be that crazy to set their alarm clock to 2.30AM everyday for a month to get up and sit in front of the TV to watch the match, hahaha, but I'm one of them. Hubby would love to company me, but each time when the alarm clock rings, he would say, he would love to continue sleeping and dreaming instead ....huh! I don't care if I'm watching it alone, I just want to watch!! That's how crazy I can be :)

Anyway, a month has passed by, and today is the last "final" match of the Euro game, and that left the two team to compete for the UEFA EURO Cup 2012  -namely SPAIN vs ITALY. I am a fan of both, but when  given a choice to choose only one, Spain is my favourite ....all the way from WC2010. My favourite players would be Fernando Torres, Sergio Ramos, Iniesta, Fabregas, David Silva and in fact , the whole team , LOL 

What's more, Spain started with a 2-0 in the 1st half and another 2 more goals in the 2nd half, closing the game with 4-0 to Italy.......I jumped and screamed to my feet with joy, LOL. That was an awesome match and everyone performed really well, and I can feel the joy of Spain in celebration........but also the sadness of Italy for losing so badly :(

Spain beats Italy in the final of the UEFA EURO 2012 with a 4 - 0

Wow!! that was great news and how could I not celebrate this victory? So I decided to bake a batch of  "Double Chocolate" flavour cupcakes to celebrate with Spain, hehe :P

I actually posted these cupcakes in my other blog - Cupcakes Fairytale, but however, I am featuring it here to so that you could join me in the baking and celebrating of this great moment :) 

And so here is the recipe to the "Double Chocolate"flavour cupcakes.....courtesy of Cupcakes Fairytale , hope you like it :)

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

(Makes 18 cupcakes)

250gm plain flour, sifted 

250gm butter, softened to room temperature

180gm castor sugar

4 Tbsp of cocoa powder, sifted together with the flour

1 tsp Rum / Kahlua / Brandy *Optional

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate soda

3 eggs

40 ml milk

For the Chocolate Ganache

100gm Chocolate, chopped into small pieces

50ml Double cream

•  Heat the cream in a saucepan to boil , then take it off the heat. Pour in into the chopped chocolate and leave it for 1 minute. Stir it to melt the chocolate, and leave it to cool slightly, until ready to use.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160 degree Celsius. Line the cupcakes cases on the baking tray.
2. Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. 
3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate soda, set aside.
4. Lower down the mixer speed to medium-low and add in the eggs , one at a time, making sure that it is well combined.
5. Add the milk and Rum/ Brandy / Kahlua, whichever you are using, and mixed well.
6. Add in the cocoa/ flour into the mixture , slowly , batch by batch and mix until all fully combine.
7. Scoop the batter 1/3 into the casing, then scoop a tablespoon of the chocolate ganache into the center of the batter, and then top it with another 1/3 of the batter, filling 2/3 of the casing. Repeat this to all the other casings.
8. Bake at the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes depending on individual oven. However, the cupcakes are done once a skewer inserted in the centre, comes out clean.
9. Leave it to cool on the wire rack.

To make the decoration, cover the top of the cupcakes with buttercream , smooth it to the brim (I used 'pink' tinted buttercream)and place a piece of the specially ordered  'UEFA EURO 2012 logo edible image icing that I ordered from one of the local provider - Sugar Art.

Well, till then......have fun making these cupcakes and again ....."Viva La Espana!!!"